Llewellyn’s Grey Herons

And in the weedy moat the heron, fond
Of solitude, alighted.
The moping heron, motionless and stiff,
That on a stone, as silently and stilly,
Stood, an apparent sentinel, as if
To guard the water-lily.

Today’s Daily Prompt from WordPress challenged us with the topic of something we can’t get out of our heads. That’s a no-brainer for me, as I admitted my obsession with herons long ago in I Have A Heron Monkey on My Back. Back then I wrote

With nearly a decade spent observing them, and more than 100,000 photos of them under my belt, could one say I’m addicted? Perhaps I do have a “monkey on my back,” but all for a good cause.

This affinity for herons is not limited to present-day experiences: I get excited by the discovery of archival heron photographs, and feel a connection to the early photographers who may also have been captivated by herons. Case in point, the two grey heron photographs by Welsh photographer John Dillwyn Llewelyn shown here, courtesy of Getty Images.

Thanks to Ailsa for her Where’s My Backpack: Ancient prompt. (Compared to the Coliseum in Rome, this is not ancient. In terms of photographic technology, shots from the 1850’s are nearly ancient, coming just 30 years after the first reported nature photograph.)

Thanks to Cee for her Black & White Challenge: Big. (While the photos, themselves, are small, the heron is a very big bird. In addition, from a technical perspective, the exposure duration was big – Piscator Nbr 2 had an exposure of 20 minutes. I find it remarkable that the heron’s reflection in the water is so clear for such a long exposure.)

Many thanks, I was thrilled to stumble across Llewellyn’s photos by accident last week. The technique used to “print” from his plates was interesting: his wife would prop the plates on the outside of their windowsill and let the sun work magic. Fascinating.

Indeed, he’s all scaly and armored on the outside, but inside? He’s a sensitive guy. Sensitive enough to peaceably co-exist with the egrets and herons and spoonbills, whereas a lesser gator would simply considered those to be lunch.

Five Crows

A selection of my heron and flower photos is now available at the Five Crows Gallery in Natick, MA. Drop in and see the work of the many wonderfully creative artists who show there when you're in the area.